Christmas tree branch holder



R. J. SCHOEN 2,238,134

CHRISTMAS TREE BRANCH HOLDER Filed July 15, 1939 VE N TOR ROBERT l SCHQEN ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 15, lW'l-l.

u HE D 1 Claim.

This invention relates to holders, and more particularly to holding means adapted for attaching branches to Christmas trees.

It has heretofore been proposed to improve the appearance of Christmas trees by securing additional branches thereto at suitable locations. The attachment of added branches to a Christmas tree has usually been eiiected by inserting the whittled ends of the branches into holes drilled in the tree trunk. This is a tedious operation and is beyond the facilities and skill of many persons.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a Christmas tree branch holder and the like which is capable of quick and easy application by unskilled persons, and which can be manufactured at low cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a branch holder which will accommodate branches of diiierent thickness.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a Christmas tree hav-- ing an added branch secured thereto by a holder constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation of the applied holder;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View of the applied holder, taken generally along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a ferrule or sleeve of the holder, and

Fig. 5 is a plan View of sleeve blanks.

In the drawing, ill designates a ferrule or sleeve which is formed by bending a resilient sheet metal blank It (Fig. 5) to tubular shape, the opposite edges of the bent blank being spaced so that the sleeve is longitudinally split or slotted at H along its upper side. One end of the bottom portion of the sleeve is provided with a prong or spur I72, and the other end has a notch iii to increase the resiliency of the sleeve. .12; the manufacture of the sleeves, the sleeve blanks iii are preferably punched in a series from a sheet metal strip, the cutting of the prong of one blank forming the notch of the adjacent blank, as in dicated in Fig. 5. Between the prong and notch each blank is longitudinally slit to form a wirepositioning loop I l, which further increases the resiliency of the sleeve. The edges of the blank at each side of the prong are cut at an angle so that the pronged end of the sleeve formed from the blank will have an obliquely extending end to bear against the trunk iii of a Christmas tree.

The resilient ferrule or sleeve iii is expansible and contractible and is adapted to fit over the butt end of a branch ll which is to be attached to the tree, he character of the sleeve permitting the sleeve to be applied to branches of different thickness. The butt end of the branch is out on a bias to correspond to the obliquely ex tending end of the sleeve. The sleeve is so positioned on the branch that the prong l2 is at the lower side of the branch.

A bendable wire Ill is passed through the loop it on the sleeve and is wrapped about the sleeve and then twisted at it, adjacent to the upper side of the branch, to clamp or compress the contractible sleeve firmly on the branch. The prong ll of the sleeve is then pushed into the tree trunk at the desired angle and location until the oblique end of the sleeve bears on the trunk, whereupon the ends 2d of the wire are wrapped about the tree trunk, preferably at an upward angle with respect to the sleeve, and are twisted together at it. After attachment, the branch extends at a small upward angle with respect to the tree trunk. The twisting of the wire about the sleeve and tree trunk may be eiiected by hand, but is preferably effected with the aid of a pair of pliers. If desired, the excess material at the free ends of the wire may be clipped off. When the tree is in use the holder is concealed the foliage and trimmings.

The branch holder of the invention is readily applied by unskilled persons and holds the added branch firmly in position. The character of the holder permits it to be manufactured at low cost.

While the holder is particularly adapted for attaching a branch to a Christmas tree, it is also capable of analogous uses.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A Christmas tree branch holder and the like, comprising a longitudinally split contractihle resilient sleeve'adapted to fit over the butt end of a tree branch and pronged for piercing the side wall of the trunk of the tree, said sleeve having an exterior wire-confining loop intermediate its ends, and a bendable wire passing through said loop and having an intermediate portion adapted to be wrapped about said sleeve for contracting and clamping said sleeve on said branch, said wire having end portions adapted to be wrapped about said tree trunk adjacent to the upper portion of said sleeve for securing said sleeve to said trunk.

ROBERT J. SCHOEN. 

